Drug-dependent Patients At Different Stages Of Cerebral Metabolism In Pet Studies

Drug dependence, or named addiction, recently which was thinked as a chronic brain disease. Some abroad studies related it had been launched extensively in nerve functional imageology field. On the contrary, few was done in our country.Objective: To explore changes of brain metabolic situations in different period. In order to provid more evidence to confirm that Mesolimbic-cortical DA system is reward center.Methods: In abstinence and craving periods respectively, PET (Positron Emission Tomography) of brain were scanned in 5 patients with drug addiction, metabolic situations of neurons were studied at molecular level.Results: In abstinence period, no abnormal radiated concentrated areas were found. Whereas in craving period, increasing metabolic areas in ventral tegmental area, amygdala, nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex were observed.